Naruto Namikaze, the Hope for Konoha
by Ariis Crystalbane
Summary: Minato survived sealing the Kyuubi. How will the Yondaime's presence change Konoha, and how will being raised by his father change Naruto?
1. I'm Pregnant

**Disclaimer: **Only one I'm going to put up for the entire story, Naruto isn't owned by me.

**Author's Note: **You won't really get to see the initial change, and how it happens for a few chapters, sorry readers. But that is how I've planned my story so far, and I have it so this part, while important to the story, is better used in this format, instead of as flashback chapters for when the information would best serve its purpose. I hope you'll stay with me as a reader, despite how long it takes to get to the actual plot. I will say this, though, in hopes of stealing your attention, I won't be having canon exams, canon missions.

* * *

**Chapter 1: "I'm Pregnant"**

"I'm pregnant." She said to the man, her husband. Her blond-haired, blue-eyed Kage of a husband. "I'm pregnant." She repeated, as she held his rough hands in her own, squeezing them gently. Looking into his eyes, she allowed him to see the truth of her statement, and her barely concealed emotions within.

Azure eyes wide open, the blonde kage couldn't conceal his surprise at her exclamation. "Pregnant?" He asked, barely able to hide the joy hidden within. Seeing her nod, he let out a huge grin. "I'm going to be a father!" He said as he grabbed his wife and spun around with her in his arms, her long hair ensnaring her husband.

"We've got to tell our friends. Everyone." He stated, almost jumping for joy in his excitement. "Who first? Maybe Jiraiya-sensei? Or perhaps Hiashi and his wife Hitomi? Oh, what about Sandaime-sama? Or Hizashi-san? Or-"

Finding himself unable to speak, due to the very natural occurrence of his wife sealing his lips with a kiss. "Now, now. Don't talk yourself into a frenzy." Kushina said, with a mischievous smirk. "We have time for that. Later." She emphasized, caressing her husband as she pulled him into her arms hugging him warmly. "Can you feel it? My excitement?"

Smiling broadly, he gave her a short nod. "I can. And you," he said, indicating her with a kiss, "are going to stay here, while I go tell our friends." Minato said, with a mischievous smirk, the kind he only got when he was going to pull off something amazing.

"And you're going to make me stay how?" Kushina asked, knowing full well that this was the very question he was looking for, but unable to quench her insatiable curiosity.

Holding back a wide grin, Minato merely stepped away from her. "I'll just walk away, and you won't be able to do anything to stop me." He said, flashing a smile her way that even now made her blush like a schoolgirl.

"Minato..." She said, dangerously, as she realized what he had done. "Get back here righ-"

A soft pop, and a golden flash later, Kushina found herself alone in their room.

Growling lightly, Kushina cursed to herself as she tried to undo her restraints that Minato placed on her while he distracted her. "He's going to be in _so_ much trouble when I get out of these seals." Inwardly, she was impressed by his ability to seal _her, _when she taught him the arts of Fuinjutsu, not that she'd ever admit it, to herself or anyone. Cursing once more to herself, she turned her energies towards the seals, working on unraveling them.

* * *

One golden flash later, Minato found himself outside the hot springs where, to no surprise, he found his sensei. "I'm going to be in so much trouble later." Minato said to himself, knowing just how scary his wife could be, especially when he used the Hiraishin to escape from her. Even moreso, when she's in mid-sentence. Shuddering involuntarily, Minato turned to his sensei. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he quickly performed the Hiraishin, wanting to inform him and another at the same time. With a flash, he was up in his office. And as expected, his former kage, and friend, was there.

Only mildly startled by Minato's appearance, he smiled gently at his successor with a slightly amused expression. "Yes, Minato? What is it?" He asked, half-guessing at the truth as he saw the joy in his eyes.

"Kushina's pregnant! I'm gonna be a father. I'm gonna be a daddy." Minato said in a rush, unable to contain his excitement any longer. Minato was almost bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, he was so excited. "Now to tell the others," he added on with a golden flash, leaving Jiraiya and Sarutobi in his office, unable to congratulate him.

Jiraiya and Sarutobi shared a knowing look. "A father, eh? Perhaps we should see how Kushina's doing." Jiraiya said to his mentor with a grin.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Hyuuga manor, Hizashi and Hiashi were having a friendly spar. The two twins were equals in skills, despite their respective relegation to the Branch and Main Family in the clan. With a smirk, Hiashi fell back to the basic stance of Gentle Fist, "Come," he said, as he signaled his intentions with his proffered hand.

Needing no extra invite, Hizashi struck, aiming for his brother's tenketsu. "Hakke Sanjūni Shō,"

_2 Palms_

Hizashi struck at his brother's right arm, only to miss as Hiashi avoided the first strike, and knocked the second strike away.

_4 Palms_

Tagging his brother's shoulder, he let out some chakra closing two tenketsu in rapid succession. Smirking at his success over his brother, Hizashi continued his attack with renewed vigor.

_8 Palms_

Carefully dodging Hizashi's initial strikes, Hiashi struck his closed Tenketsu, opening them with a slight wince and a burst of chakra. Hizashi watching his brother's counter with a faint smile, struck at the opening, closing one tenketsu in his brother's right arm.

_16 Palms_

He pushed his brother harder, determined to win this spar. Forcing Hiashi back, Hizashi landed 5 more blows, closing 5 more tenketsu in the process.

_32 Palms_

Striking quickly, Hizashi closed another 11 tenketsu, stopping Hizashi's ability to channel chakra through his arms for a while. Pulling back as he finished the technique, he struck once more. "Hakke Kūshō," he exclaimed, knocking his brother off his feet with pressurized air.

A blinding flash lit the room behind Hiashi, and catching the man before he hit the ground, Minato landed on his feet, sliding back a few inches. "Hizashi, Hiashi." Minato stated in greeting.

"Minato," Hiashi said, in kind, greeting his close friend. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this...unexpected visit?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow, mildly thankful for the interference though.

Smirking at Minato, "Yes, what do we owe the pleasure of you arriving as I beat my brother in our little spar?" Hizashi spoke in turn, happy to see his friend again.

"I'm going to be a father. Kushina's pregnant!" Minato stated quickly, his joy evident in his voice.

Composing himself, Hiashi stood up and out of Minato's grasp. "While this is a joyous event, you felt the need to flash in here and disrupt our spar, Minato?"

Minato had the decency to look a little chagrined at his words. "Well..." He started, without knowing where he was headed.

"And when are you and Hitomi going to bring a little one for-" Minato began, intending to tease the man.

"Minato..." A soft growling sound could be heard, coming from the entrance to the training room. Recognizing his wife's crimson locks, Minato went white as a sheet and ran for his life. Watching in amusement, the Hyuuga twins chuckled together as they watched Kushina chase Minato across town.

* * *

Shortly, Minato found himself cornered on top of Hokage Monument. With a feral look in her eyes, Kushina stepped towards Minato. "Don't even think about flashing away from me if you know what's good for you."

Deciding that he's run enough, Minato set himself into his taijutsu stance. "Well, then. If I can beat you, can I be let off the hook?" Minato asked, grasping at straws for a way out of punishment.

"Sure. If you can, we both know you've never won." She responded with a grin, leaping at him in her own stance, wild and unpredictable. Dodging her fist, he grabbed her wrist and using her momentum, swung her behind him with force.

Grinning wildly, Kushina employed her momentum as well, landing feet first on the edge of the Monument before flipping back over Minato pulling him with her. Letting go of her wrist quickly, Minato tossed one of his Kunai at her. "Not happening, Minato." Kushina said, as she destroyed the seal on the Kunai before he could flash to it. "I know all your battle tricks and skills. You'll never flash to me." She said with a smirk, and true to her word, Minato found himself unable to flash to either the Kunai or the seal he had placed on her wrist.

"Well, then. Looks like I'll just have to close the distance normally." He said as he used his natural speed to meet Kushina before she managed to launch a counterattack. "Why don't we add some rules, to make this a little more fun," Minato said, as he swung at her, aiming to knock her off her feet. "Fuinjutsu, weapons, teleportation jutsu...and clones," Minato said while trying to knock her off balance, adding the last one with a bit of reluctance.

With a wild smirk, Kushina nodded before putting her hands in a familiar seal. With two pops and one giant cloud of smoke, two shadow clones flanked the original. "Your funeral." Together they leapt at Minato, aiming for his jaw, gut, and legs all at once.

Minato had his work cut out for him, as he leapt over the leg sweep and blocked the two strikes, before lashing out at the one below him, causing her to burst in a puff of smoke. Suddenly stumbling forward, Minato found another Kushina clone at his back. "So, that's how you'll play, eh?" He said, as he leapt into the air using the two Kushina's he had blocked to push off of.

Pulling out two more kunai, Minato tossed them at the two he pushed off of, and to his surprise, they both disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Instincts kicking in, Minato suddenly flashed to one of his Kunai and looked up in the air where he just was, to his relief, he avoided Kushina who was just about to strike him down. Grinning fiercely, Minato pulled the kunai out of the rocky surface, and wielding them like one would wield a pair of Tanto. Beckoning his wife, Minato waited for her charge.

An hour later, the two lay next to each other on their backs, exhausted. "So, am I off the hook?" Minato asked, unable to let it go.

"You didn't beat me." Kushina said, smirking.

"But am I off the hook? You didn't beat me either." He said with a grin.

"For now. But you'll be in trouble later. And that's a promise." Kushina acquiesced, leaning into her husband's side.

* * *

**Author's Note:** As I said before, you won't get to see Naruto for a while, the first few chapters are going to be before Kyuubi attacks. Hope this doesn't dissuade you from staying on.

Favorite, follow, whatever. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows, all constructive advice will be greatly appreciated.


	2. Kyuubi's Seal

**Chapter 2: Kyuubi's Seal**

* * *

A resounding knock filled the almost empty corridors in the Uzumaki manor. In the training room, Kushina and Minato paused in their practices setting down their sealing tools. Looking at his wife, Minato said, "Looks like we have guests. Why don't we put this aside for now, we have plenty of time to perfect it."

Nodding, Kushina ran through a few hand signs, storing the tools in seal, keeping the room clutter free. "After you, Hokage-sama," Kushina said feigning extreme respect, as she bowed to him in a mocking fashion.

Minato frowned, "I told you to stop that already. Thought you had finally learned." Straightening his attire, Minato put on his kage robes and headed towards the entrance, not wanting to keep his guests waiting. Striding through the corridors, Minato again watched the walls around him change image as the seals activated to the guest's presence. Settling on the image of the Hyuuga Clan, Minato guessed as to why they were here. Smirking at the thought, he composed himself before opening the door.

"Hiashi. Hitomi. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Minato asked the pair, intentionally using the phrase Hiashi asked of him, when he announced his wife was pregnant.

Glaring at the gesture, before composing himself, Hiashi said, "Well, as you have surmised, Minato-_sama,"_ intentionally adding on that honorific, knowing how much the man hated it. "Hitomi, like Kushina, is with child."

Stepping forward lightly, Hitomi said, "And we decided that we'd share with you early on, like you did with us."

Bumping into the back of her husband, Kushina greeted the pair. "Hitomi, Hiashi. What a pleasant surprise. Come in, come in," she said quickly, as she grabbed their hands and pulled them inside. "We've got so much to catch up on."

Dragging them into the living room, she finally let go of them, turning to Hitomi, she let loose her tirade of questions. "When's the baby due? How long you have known? Boy or girl? Names? Wh-"

"If you'll excuse my wife, I believe she was just on her way to making some tea for us." Minato said, covering his wife's mouth with an apologetic expression. Glaring at her husband, she backed out of the room, her eyes promising punishment.

Chuckling half-heartedly, Minato turned away from his wife. "I'm going to be in trouble later. Clan elders giving you any grief about this, Hiashi?"

Hiashi frowned, "Thankfully not. Although hesitant at the start, they were pleased with my choice for a wife. Despite that, they do question as to whether or not our child will be suitable for Hyuuga heir."

Smiling lightly, he said, "Well, then. You'll just have to train your child and prove the elders wrong."

"Enough about the clan." Kushina said, as she entered the room with tea. Setting down two cups in front of the Hyuuga's, she took the last for herself. "None for you, Minato," she said, smirking. "So, Hitomi. When's the baby due?"

"Yes, yes. I'll answer your questions," she said, taking a sip of the tea. "Mm. It's good...Gyokuro tea leaves, if I'm not mistaken," she remarked, astonished at their hospitality. "Kushina, you're too good to us."

Setting down her cup, she said, "She's due in late December, perhaps into January."

"She?" Hiashi questioned her, with a raised eyebrow. "Doctors said nothing about gender."

With a sigh, Hitomi said, "I know that, but I also know that she's going to be a girl."

Bringing his hands together with a single resounding clap, Minato said, "Am I correct in assuming that you had other business here as well, Hiashi?"

"Bright as ever, Minato." Hiashi said, his tone all business. "Beyond the pleasant news of Hitomi's pregnancy, we came here to deliver a message from Sandaime-sama. He'd like to speak with you and Kushina about her pregnancy." Standing up, Hiashi gave a slight bow, "And with that, our business with you is concluded. We have other things demanding our attention, so if you'll excuse us."

* * *

Minato and Kushina walked down the roads of Konoha on their way to the Sarutobi estate. Eyeing one of the nearby buildings, Kushina said, "After we get this problem with Sarutobi resolved, why don't we eat at Yakiniku? I've heard great things about it from Chouza."

"Well, if Chouza is there when we do, they might just run out of food with an Akimichi and an Uzumaki in the building." Minato said, teasing his wife's large appetite.

Rolling her eyes, she shoved her husband playfully. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it off. Just wait until our little one is born, and you'll have to feed the both of us. He's an Uzumaki, too." She laughed as Minato's eyes went wide.

Running ahead, Kushina turned around and faced her husband. "Race you there," she said before she took off. Laughing at her antics, Minato chased after her.

Standing next to his seated wife, Minato asked, "So, I assume this is about Kyuubi's seal?"

Nodding gravely, Hiruzen said, "Yes. The seal weakens during child-birth, so we need to prepare for the worst case scenario in case the seal does indeed break. We've located an isolated cave outside of Konoha that would suit these purposes. My wife and another med-nin would help with the birthing, and a squad of Anbu will keep watch over the entrance. Minato, with Kushina's knowledge in seals that she's given you keep the seal from breaking."

"May I ask for the details of the place, Sandaime-sama?" Minato asked, wishing to check out the place ahead of time to verify its security.

Nodding his head, the former Hokage said, "Certainly, I'll have one of my Anbu escort you there later. What time would suit you best?"

Looking at his wife, Minato said, "Hm. Perhaps around five? That sound good, Kushina?"

"Hm. We'll be having lunch at Yakinuku after this, and that shouldn't boil over past three, even in the worst of cases. So, yeah. Five should be fine." Kushina said, after a brief moment of thought. "Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some lunch to catch," she added, as she literally dragged her husband out of the room.

* * *

Minato tried to hide his face from the villagers, to no avail. His robe and hairstyle already gave him away instantly. "Kuuushinaaa," Minato droned out in a whining tone, embarrassed at how far she was dragging him. "Stop this already. It's embarrassing."

Halting for a moment, Kushina allowed her husband to get his hopes up. Tossing a mischievous grin his way, she continued dragging him, much to his dismay. 'Why'd I have to say that?' He thought to himself, cursing his words.

"Hokage-sama. How nice to see you on the streets again." Chouza chuckled at him. "Mind joining us for some beef at Yakinuku's?"

"We were just headed there ourselves," Minato said, from his vantage point on the ground. "Sure, we can join you," he added with a glance at his wife. "If she will stop dragging me."

"Fine, fine." Kushina said, pouting before she let her husband loose. "After you?" she asked, indicating Shikaku and Chouza with a glance.

* * *

"This is good beef!" Chouza declared loudly, as he skewered more meat.

"How's Atsuko-chan, Chouza?" Kushina asked, knowing it was right around the time for their son to be born. Stealing the meat from Chouza's skewer, she devoured it right away, with a challenging glance at the Akimichi heir.

"Atsuko-chan, eh?" Chouza said, meeting her challenging gaze with an eager grin. "She's as big as ever. He should pop out any day now." With surprising dexterity for his size, Chouza skewered several slabs of beef before Kushina could retaliate.

Eying his speed, she said, "Looks like we need more beef." Setting down her chopsticks, Kushina sent a challenging smirk at Chouza. "It's on. I'll show you not to underestimate the Uzumaki appetite."

Watching the pair, Shikaku said, "How troublesome."

Giving him an amusing glance, Minato said, "For once I agree with that phrase, Shikaku. I knew it'd turn out like this. Hopefully this place has enough beef on hand."

"How's Yoshino-chan?" he asked, after a moment's pause. "She's what? Three months along?"

"Such a troublesome woman. Thankfully, it's a boy. If she was having a daughter, I don't think I could handle having two troublesome woman at home. Hormones only make it worse." Shikaku said, grimacing at his thoughts. "Four, actually," he added as an afterthought, in answer to Minato's question.

Glancing at the big eaters at the table, Minato grimaced. "We're going to be here for a while. Might even miss our appointment later today." With a knowing glance at his wife, he continued. "Which is at five."

Shikaku chuckled, "Might just happen, knowing Chouza's appetite and Kushina's never-back-down attitude."

Leaning back into his chair, he watched the competition unfold.

* * *

Standing hesitantly near the duo, their waiter said, "Akimichi-san, Uzumaki-san. My apologies, but there is no more beef in storage."

Flashing Shikaku a knowing grin, Minato chuckled. "What'd I tell you?"

Nodding his head in acknowledgment, Shikaku said, "The timing was fairly fortuitous, thankfully. I've got to go meet up with my wife now, and I believe you mentioned you had an appointment soon. It's almost five."

Startled, Minato looked at the clock and then stood up immediately. "Kushina. We need to go now, it's almost five." He said, as he threw their portion of the bill on the table. "Chouza, Shikaku. Until next time."

Allowing herself to be dragged out of the restaurant, Kushina shot a glare at Chouza. "This isn't over, Chouza. We'll finish out competition next time."

Nodding his head with a smile, he boasted, "And I'll beat you then, too."

* * *

Arriving at the Uzumaki manor, the couple found that they were just in time, as the Anbu operative arrived. "Hokage-same, Uzumaki-san. Sandaime-sama expressed your desire to stake out the location of note. I will escort you there," he said, wearing a non-descript mask.

Nodding his head, Minato said, "Lead the way."

Quickly, the couple followed the Anbu across the rooftops of Konoha, and beyond into the surrounding forests.

"How far away from Konoha is it?" Minato asked, as he leapt from another branch.

"Two kilometers, Hokage-sama," the Anbu operative answered him. "You may recognize the location upon arrival."

* * *

Smiling, Minato entered the cave upon arrival. "This brings back memories. The Hyuuga twins and I used to train in here. Was anyone's guess as to who would win our little brawls." Minato said fondly to his wife, reminiscing.

"Oh? How come I was never involved?" Kushina asked, annoyed.

"Well, at the time...you thought I was pathetic. And you were proving again and again why you're Konoha's Red Hot-Blooded Habanero." Minato said with a smirk.

"Ah, yes. Back when we were still Genin. And you were weak back then, not that you can handle me yet," she said in remembrance, teasing her husband. "After I give birth, we should have another brawl in here, involve the whole gang and all. Hizashi, Hiashi, you, me, and even the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, if you think we've got the room."

"Sure," he said, turning his attention to the cave. Methodically, he ran his gaze throughout the cavern, looking for any points of weakness. Nodding in satisfaction, Minato turned to their escort. "Inform Sandaime-sama that this place is indeed satisfactory."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," the non-descript Anbu said, with a nod before leaving to inform the former Hokage.


	3. The Broken Seal

**Chapter 3: The Broken Seal**

* * *

"Onmyōton: Chakra Seal," Minato said flatly, as he poured chakra into the seal. Ink expanded upon the parchment forming the character for chakra.

"Too much chakra," Kushina said chastising her husband with a shake of her head. "You've got the seals down correctly. Tone down on the chakra just a little. With as much chakra you're putting in, any chakra would leak out of the seal, and overtime that would mitigate the purpose of the seal, and if left this way for too long, it would nullify them all together."

"Ox, Boar, Dog, Ram, Dragon, Bird, Rat, Ram, Dragon, Hare, Tiger," Kushina intoned, as she formed the hand seals. "Onmyōton: Chakra Seal," she said as she placed her palm flat onto the paper seal, pouring chakra into it. Turning to Minato, she showed him the chakra character on the paper. "And don't forget, during the time the chakra is getting sealed, you have to remain still otherwise the seal will fail."

Nodding, Minato noted the difference between their two seals. Kushina's perfectly fit the inscribed area, neither merging with the other characters on the paper, nor leaving empty space in the indicated sealing area. His, on the other hand, went a full centimeter beyond the perimeter. "Understood," he said to his wife, thankful that she was a perfectionist when it came to jutsu.

Looking up at the clock, Minato saw that it was noon. "Kushina, it's time," he said, stopping their practices. "I'll work on perfecting this seal, I think I know just how much chakra I need to use now, but we need to go to the cave. Takes time to set up the barrier and everything."

Nodding, Kushina said, "Get the preparations finished with Sandaime, I'll get what we'll need for our stay, we'll likely be there for a week or so."

* * *

Nodding at the two in front of her, the former Hokage's wife greeted the couple. "Namikaze-san, Uzumaki-san, I am Sarutobi Biwako. I'm here to help with the birthing process. This here is a fellow Med-nin, Wakahisa Azumi-san. She'll be assisting me."

Thanking them, Kushina and Minato turned to the four Anbu escorts. "Sandaime-sama handpicked us to guard the entrance, Hokage-sama. The one with the fox-mask is called Ichirou, the dog masked Anbu is Eiji. The hawk-masked Anbu is Shiro. I am called Chie, and I will be leading the Anbu in your protection," said the cat-masked Anbu with a bow.

"Shiro will lead the way to the cave, Ichirou and Eiji will guard our flanks, and I'll take the rear. Any questions before we head out, Hokage-same, Uzumaki-san?"

Pursing his lips, Minato pressed his forefinger on his lips in a gesture of thought. "Just one, what barrier will be used for protection?" he asked after a brief pause.

"A simple chakra suppressant, it won't allow anyone beyond the eight of us to use chakra while in its borders. Beings of chakra like the Kyuubi will have trouble even taking form," she said, remembering what Eiji told her of it.

"Very well, lead us, Shiro."

* * *

"This is boring." Kushina cried out for the umpteenth time.

"Kushina. We got here ten minutes ago. Surely, you can entertain yourself for longer than that," Minato said, chastising his wife.

Flashing a mischievous smirk at her husband, Kushina said, "And maybe you can find a way to entertain me."

Raising his eyebrows, he asked, "And just what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I-" Kushina began, before pausing uncharacteristically.

The two medical ninja rushed forward, "She's going into labor! Out of the way." Biwako said, pushing Minato out of the way. "Keep the seal secure."

* * *

Holding her newborn son, Kushina looks over at her husband, teary-eyed. "He's beautiful." Handing him back to Biwako, Kushina began to rest, restoring her spent energy.

Taking his eyes of the seal, Minato took half a step towards his son. "Work on the seal," Biwako reprimanded him, despite his status of Hokage.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Minato went back to stabilizing the seal.

"Step away from the container," a man's voice rang out in the cave. Minato turned to the voice, noticing a masked man. "Step away from the container, unless you want your son to die." The man repeated.

Seeing Minato's hesitation, he threw Naruto in the air with a kunai following shortly after.

Eyes widening in shock, he showed just why he was called the Yellow Flash of Konoha, crossing the cave in a yellow blur to rescue Naruto using his natural speed alone. Hearing a familiar fizzing sound, Minato noticed the exploding tags on the cloth. Realizing how much chakra was poured into the tags, Minato was forced to use the Hiraishin.

"Damn it," he cursed to himself as he threw the cloths covering Naruto a safe distance away. "Damn it!"

"Kushina, stay safe. I'll be there soon." Minato swore, as he gently placed Naruto in the bed they had prepared for him ahead of time.

* * *

Gritting her teeth, Kushina glared at the man in front of her. "Who the hell are you?" she asked, furious.

He ignored her and began destroying the seal. A pain not unlike the one she experienced in childbirth enveloped her. "If you...release the Kyuubi...you'll die, too." She stammered out, trying to dissuade his course of action.

He merely glared at her, his only visible eye showing his hatred for Konoha. A shroud of chakra wrapped around Kushina as the seal was broken. With the Kyuubi released, he turned his attention away from the fallen vessel in order to bind its actions to his will.

"I-I'll stop you." Kushina muttered, intending to use her chakra chains to stop the Kyuubi in its tracks.

"Oh? You're still alive. I guess the Uzumaki's reputed vitality was indeed correct," the man said, sneering at the former container. "Kyuubi, kill her," he said, ordering the tailed beast to destroy its second jinchūriki.

Kyuubi, bound to the man's will, raised a clawed hand intending to crush her. Striking swiftly, it hit with such force the ground cracked and crumbled beneath it.

"Tch," he swore, as he saw Minato save Kushina. "Know this, Konoha will be destroyed," he said to Minato, as he and the Kyuubi departed in an instant.

* * *

Alarmed at the flare of evil chakra, the former Hokage stood up alarmed knocking his seat to the floor. 'The seal...did it break?' he thought to himself, shocked. "Takeshi," he called out, signaling to the hidden Anbu member. "Gather the Jounin and Chunin, Kushina's seal may have broken. Have the Jounin in charge of Genin squads have their Genin evacuate the citizens. Go."

The badger-masked Anbu left immediately, following Hiruzen's orders. "Minato. What happened?" He asked himself, not liking where his thoughts took him. 'Be safe, Konoha needs you.'

Creasing his brows in frustration, Hiruzen left the room, hurrying towards where he detected the chakra.

* * *

"Naruto!" Kushina shouted out alarmed, "Where's Naruto?" she asked her husband, fearing for his safety.

Smiling gently, Minato comforted his wife. "He's safe, I'll take you to him." Bringing his wife to Naruto, he gently lay her next to Naruto who was yawning softly in his sleep. "Stay with him Kushina, I've got a job to do as Hokage now."

Biting her upper lip, said "Don't use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Minato. No matter what. Promise me. Promise me that."

Smiling softly, Minato said, "I know. We have the Chakra Seal to use in replacement." Stroking her cheek, he stood up. "I've got to go now. Love you."

"Love you, too. Go, stay safe. Protect Konoha."

* * *

"Shinobi of Konoha! The Kyuubi is on the outskirts of Konoha. Let's push the Kyuubi back and stall until Yondaime-sama can arrive." Hiruzen ordered the shinobi in Minato's absence.

With a roar of approval, the shinobi followed his orders and focused their strongest jutsu on pushing the Kyuubi back.

In a roar of anger, the Kyuubi began to collect chakra in its mouth.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Minato's voice rang out over the Kyuubi, and a huge toad appeared disrupting the Kyuubi's concentration and pushing it back.

"Bring Naruto and Kushina to the ravine along the Naka River, Sandaime-sama." Minato called out to his mentor.

Concentrating hard, Minato teleported the Kyuubi and himself away from the village, consuming a large chunk of his chakra. Breathing heavily, he stared down the tailed beast.

Sensing the chakra of the masked man from before, Minato flipped back, narrowly dodging a Katon jutsu. "Looks like I have to deal with you first." Minato said, glaring at his opponent. Rushing him, he swung his kunai at the man, intending to impale him. To his shock, the kunai went through his head, only to be grabbed by the man's hand.

"This is my victory." He said, boasting as he intended to suck Minato into an alternate dimension. Recognizing the pull, Minato flashed away immediately appearing next to the Kyuubi where his Hiraishin kunai was placed. He instinctively dodged the Kyuubi's claw as it reached out to crush Minato.

Breathing heavily, Minato analyzed what he found out about the man so far. He recognized him as a Space-Time Ninjutsu type, more skilled than himself. "Who are you?" he asked. "The only shinobi capable of everything you've done would be Uchiha Madara, but he's dead. Who are you?" he reiterated.

"Nobody of interest," he answered in mock response.

'Whatever the case may be, I need to stop him,' Minato thought to himself as he readied another kunai. Charging at the man, he tossed his kunai as he formed a Rasengan. As they drew near, Minato patiently waited for the moment to act.

The masked man smiled under his mask as he felt the Hokage's arm contact his hand. 'Victory is mine,' he thought as he began to use his space-time ninjutsu.

"Rasengan!" Minato exclaimed as he flashed to his kunai, claiming victory and placing his Hiraishin seal upon his enemy in the process.

"No wonder you're the Yondaime at such a young age," the man praised him, as he realized what happened. Suddenly, he felt the blond kage's hand upon his chest. "Contract Seal!" the young kage exclaimed, destroying the control he had over the fox.

His one visible eye widening in shock, the man commended Minato. "This is your victory, Yondaime-sama. Whether I win the war is now up to you," he said, as he retreated using his space-time ninjutsu.

Collapsing, Minato breathed heavily as his chakra reserves were dropping to dangerous levels.

"Minato!" Kushina cried out, as she saw the collapsed form of her husband and the approaching figure of the Kyuubi. Releasing herself from the former Hokage's grasp, she leapt to her husband to protect him. "Sandaime-sama, help Minato. I hate this, but he still needs to do what has to be done despite his exhausted state." She said through clenched teeth as she began to use her chakra chains to bind the Kyuubi.

Nodding sadly, Hiruzen appeared at Minato's side, and shaking him he woke Minato up. "Minato, Naruto and Kushina are here. Tell me what needs to be done."

Smiling weakly, Minato stood up as he began to run through some hand signs. "Supply chakra for me, Sandaime-sama. We need to seal the Kyuubi in Naruto, and I don't have the chakra to do it myself, and neither does Kushina."

"Very well, Minato. Just tell me how much chakra you need," he said in resignation, realizing that they don't have either the resources or the time to argue about this.

"Give me enough chakra to perform three Four Symbols Seals. A little extra is fine, as well. I can control how much the seals receive." Minato said, as he ran through the last of the hand signs. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu," he exclaimed as he slammed his palm into the ground.

"Gamabunta, help my wife in holding back the Kyuubi."

With a leap, his toad summon heeded his words and leapt into battle.

Feeling his chakra reserves restore a little, Minato gave Hiruzen a weak smile. "Four Symbols Seal!" he exclaimed, as he readied two Four Symbols Seals in his hands, tearing out Kyuubi's Yang Chakra. Placing his palms on Naruto, he sealed half of the Kyuubi's chakra in his son.

Smiling at the Kyuubi's shrunken figure, Minato dismissed his summon. "Kushina, keep him bound," he asked his wife, panting.

Pulling out the prepared parchment, Minato began to inscribe the properties of the Kyuubi's chakra, in order to contain it without needing a sacrifice.

With an earth shaking roar, the Kyuubi pulled on Kushina's chakra chains, ripping them from her control. With a deep guttural growl, it leapt at its former container, hatred filling its eyes.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." Minato said, as he started to move to protect Kushina.

"Don't!" she cried out, "You need to seal it, you can't move while molding the chakra, remember?"

Cursing, Minato went back to sealing the chakra, hoping he was in time. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see the former Hokage look at him gently. "I'll protect her, don't worry. Do it right."

Nodding in thanks, Minato calmed down and began to properly mold the chakra to seal the Kyuubi.

Wielding Enma in his Adamantine Staff transformation, the former Hokage leapt in front Kushina, shielding her from the Kyuubi's claw. Gritting his teeth, Hiruzen was slowing being pushed back. "Thanks, Sandaime-sama." Kushina said, as she began to catch her breath, her chakra reserves dangerously low. Nodding, he jumped back a little before striking the Kyuubi with his extended staff.

Glaring at the annoyance, the Kyuubi pressed its hind legs deep into the earth as it leapt into the air intending to crush its former vessel and the former Hokage at once.

"Enma!" Hiruzen shouted out to his staff.

"I know," the Monkey King responded as he formed the Adamantine Prison Wall to defend the pair.

Narrowing its eyes, the Kyuubi changed its attack, and attack with its extended claws and all nine tails at once, hoping to break the reputed impenetrable defence.

Jolting, Kushina and the former Hokage hit the top of the barrier from the Kyuubi's impact, as the earth beneath them shattered under the tremendous force.

As the dust began to settle, the Kyuubi narrowed its visage at the unharmed defence. Letting out a feral roar, it attacked fiercely and repeatedly with all of its tails.

"This is bad...very bad." Hiruzen said to Kushina, as the landscape surrounding them began to undergo drastic changes from the Kyuubi's rampage.

"Saru...tobi, if Kyuubi keeps up with this...even this defence will shatter." Enma croaked out, weakening under the force of the tailed beast.

"Enma, you know your limits best. When you're at the point where the Kyuubi's next attack will destroy this barrier, dispel yourself. You need to be around for Konoha's future generations. Trust in me to react quickly enough to escape while Minato works on sealing the Kyuubi's chakra." Hiruzen said to his summon.

"Sarutobi...you..." Enma began. "Very well." He said, after a brief pause, shuddering under the Kyuubi's attacks. "Just be ready."

Seconds passed by achingly slow as Enma endured another eight hits. In a cloud of smoke, Enma dismissed himself trusting Hiruzen's words. "Now!" Hiruzen said to Kushina, as to the paired pushed themselves to their limits dodging the Kyuubi's fast strikes.

Minato finally finished molding the chakra to contain the Kyuubi's chakra. Running through the hand seals quickly, Minato placed his palm against the paper. "Onmyōton : Chakra Seal," he shouted out, and watched in relief as the Kyuubi's form began to change shape and eased its way into the seal.

Collapsing in exhaustion, Minato looked at the changed landscape, trying to find his wife and the former Hokage. His vision began to dim as he saw two humanoid silhouettes move towards him. Unable to retain consciousness, his vision darkened and he knew no more.


	4. The Fallen

**Chapter 4: The Fallen**

* * *

The week passed by slowly as Konoha waited for their fallen leader to awaken. Talks of a new kage eventually began to emerge all over Konoha as Minato gave no signs of recovery. Biggest supporter of these talks were the war-veteran Danzo himself.

"We can't just sit here weakened idling our time away. Iwa could make a move any day now that their war deterrent is no longer a problem. We need to take action to ensure our survival." Danzo said to the council, passion and fury intertwined in his speech. Stepping forward, Danzo continued his speech. "It's not just Iwa, either. Kumo has desired our Hyuuga clan's eyes, and this would be an opportune time for them to attack. Konoha's strongest ninja is out of commission, and we haven't even begun to recover from the Kyuubi's attack."

He smiled inwardly as he saw signs of agreement among the council members. "As a veteran of war, I can see potential in strength in our shinobi, and for the position of Hokage, I recommend-"

"That will not be necessary, Danzo." Hiashi said, as he stood up, his Byakugan active. "Minato is conscious, now. His mere presence will be enough to deter Iwa, and Kumo's kage holds a close connection to Minato. Enough to deter war now that his safety is no longer in question. I'd like to put the council to a vote on ending this subject, and going onto the next important piece of advice. What we're going to do with the Uzumaki heir, who has the Kyuubi sealed within."

Whispers rang throughout the council, some of them showing their hatred of the fox and wishing to kill the boy, others exclaiming surprise that the boy was an Uzumaki. "Hyuuga, you certain this boy is an Uzumaki? He doesn't harbor the red hair characteristics of the Uzumaki clan." Tsume questioned the Hyuuga clan head, unaware of Kushina's relationship with Minato.

"I'm certain of it, I was close friends to the boy's parents. There is no doubt that he's an Uzumaki. You can't tell, but perhaps Fugaku can, is the boy's chakra coils. They're highly developed for his age, well above the norm for most, but within the norm for Uzumaki infants." Hiashi said in response, with a nod at the Uchiha clan head.

Bristling at his words, Danzo stood abruptly. "And why should we trust the Uchiha? Their Sharingan can control the Kyuubi." He said harshly, unable to completely hide his hatred of the Uchiha. The two elders flanking him nodded their agreement, desiring to have something to blame this disaster on.

"How da-" Fugaku began, as he glared at the war veteran.

"Enough." Minato's voice rang out from the entrance. Leaning against the frame of the door, he panted visibly. "The Uchiha are not to be blamed for this, I met the one responsible, and he was not from this village."

Slowly, he made his way towards Fugaku. "I apologize for his hard words, Fugaku. On behalf of Konoha, I beg your pardon and ask for your forgiveness. The Uchiha has done much for this village and don't deserve to be treated this way."

Blinking in shock, Fugaku was at a loss of words. "Hokage-sama...the Uchiha will always be your friends, from now on and forever." He said, thankful and forgetting the brief hatred he began to get for the village.

Turning from Fugaku, Minato glanced at Danzo and the elders. "You three, after this meeting, we need to talk."

Turning back to the rest of the Shinobi council, Minato stood firmly meeting everyone's eyes individually. "About my son, what did you decide?" He asked the council, knowing full well the shock it would induce.

To their credit, the council didn't show as much shock as they felt. "Decide? What needs to be decided? He's your son and thanks to your sealing, he's protecting Konoha from the Kyuubi." Fugaku said, already showing his increased loyalty and devotion to Minato.

Startling the council, Hiashi spoke up. "For once, we have an agreement between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. There is nothing that needs to be decided. Our course of action should be obvious."

With the two clans famous for their eternal rivalry in agreement with each other, the rest of the council could do nothing but agree in a shocked stupor.

"Dismissed." Minato said, satisfied at the results.

As the eight other council members left the room, Minato motioned to the three elders. "Danzo, Homura, Koharu. I've thought about this ever since I became Hokage, seeing how you acted when Sandaime-sama was still Hokage, and your actions today have settled my thoughts. The citizen council is being reformed. None of you three qualify to be on it. You're still able to offer advice as always, but you three won't hold the power you once did." He said firmly, as his plans began to play out in his head.

"I've got plans for Konoha. I love this village and it can be so much more. I want it to be a village that other villages can look up to. I want the villagers and shinobi to be like a close-knit family, and able to protect itself from anything. Disasters like the Kyuubi attack, I want us to be able to handle an attack like that with minimal loss of life." Minato smiled, "I wish it wasn't so. But with your poisonous attitudes, you're holding back Konoha, and if I hadn't woken up in time, we may have had an epidemic on our hands. The Uchiha are not a clan to be isolated, feared, hated. They're a strong clan and should be our allies."

Turning to Danzo, Minato frowned. "You nearly turned the remaining Uchiha into our enemies. Your actions are reminiscent of Uchiha Madara's. You could have ruined Konoha. Danzo, I hereby strip you of your status of a respected war veteran and shinobi. And you are to cease your illegal activities with Root. If I catch wind of them still being active, it will be treated as treason. Your actions borderline on treason and could bring the shinobi world to war many times over."

Turning to leave, he offered one last piece of advice, "Don't underestimate your Hokage, Danzo. Dismissed."

* * *

Leaning on the wall just outside the council room, Minato began breathing hard. "Damn it," he cursed to himself quietly. Slowly, he made his way out of the Hokage building.

Sighing, he made his way to his home. "Hokage-sama," a familiar voice called for him.

Pausing, Minato saw his friend Shikaku. "Hey there, Shikaku. How'd..." Minato swallowed. Letting out a deep breath, he continued, "How'd the Nara clan fare under the attack?"

Closing his eyes, Shikaku bowed his head and was silent for a few seconds. "We lost three good men. One of them was my brother. Akimichi and Yamanaka clans fared badly, as well. Akimichi lost a dozen men, and the Yamanaka lost five."

"Damn it," Minato cursed to himself. "If only I arrived sooner. I could have saved more lives."

"Minato." Shikaku began, a sign to Minato that Shikaku was talking to him as a concerned friend, and not as a shinobi of Konoha. "This was not your fault. You saved countless lives appearing when you did, we might have all died if you hadn't showed up. No one else here, not even Sandaime-sama could have stopped that fearsome ball of chakra from forming. Our people died protecting the village they loved. You may be Hokage, but we don't ask you to protect each and every one of us. That would be coddling and insulting us."

Speaking more softly, he gave his friend a gentle smile. "And if you truly regret not showing up sooner, make Konoha stronger. You're the only one who can. You're an amazing shinobi, an excellent friend, and it's an honor to know you. Minato, don't belittle yourself or the sacrifices shinobi make to protect what they love."

Patting his friend on the back, he gave him a cheerful smile. "Come on, Chouza and I are going to have some lunch together, mind joining us?"

Minato gave Shikaku a thankful smile, and shook his head. "No, I've got something I need to do. But thanks."

* * *

Minato headed towards the Uchiha district, wanting to get this out of the way early on. Hearing a gasp, Minato turned and found himself face to face with Fugaku's wife. "Hokage-sama," she said with a bow. "What brings you to the Uchiha district?"

Pausing for a second, Minato hesitated. "Is your husband around?" he finally asked.

Gently smiling, she said, "Yes. I'll take you to him."

Following her, Minato found himself admiring the Uchiha district. "Mikoto...if it's not too presumptuous of me to ask, roughly how many Uchiha activate the Sharingan?"

Mikoto gave Minato a gentle smile, as she led him to the Uchiha clan head. "Roughly a third of our boys activate the Sharingan, and while it's not as common in the girls, a quarter of those who become shinobi activate theirs. For generations, those that didn't activate their Sharingan were considered lesser by their peers. But my husband has been working to change that. He's pinning his hopes on Itachi though. He doesn't expect to completely change the ways in a single generation."

Blinking in surprise, Minato chuckled at the extra information he was given. "He's a good man. Uchiha has a clan head they can truly be proud of."

"Yeah...he is, we do." She said, stopping in front of her home. "He's inside. Make yourself at home, I need to finish shopping."

"Thank you...and sorry for interrupting you." Minato said, with a bow of his head as he let himself inside.

"Hokage-sama?" Fugaku said, surprised as he wasn't expecting to see Minato in his own home.

"I'm here on business. Do you have any shinobi who are either recently retired, or are still on active duty, but only used when needed? Additionally, they need to be strong-willed, independent, and above all, uncaring about status. I'm forming a new council to replace Danzo, Homura, and Koharu." Minato said, getting straight to business. "You don't need to answer right away. You'll have a week to think on it, send any candidates to the Hokage manor on the first. I'm giving you and other clans within Konoha time to think on it."

"Certainly, Hokage-sama." Fugaku said, bowing in respect.

Seeing himself out, Minato decided to head home.

* * *

Minato found himself walking not to his home at the Uzumaki estates, but instead to the Hyuuga manor. Smiling to himself, he allowed his feet to take him to his life-long friends. As he walked through the village, he watched as villagers and shinobi alike worked on repairing the damage the Kyuubi had managed to do before it was sealed away.

A smile made its way across his features as he watched the Akimichi Clan use their jutsu to do a lot of the heavy lifting. His mood darkened again as he thought of the many lost in the attack.

'No, no.' Minato thought to himself, as he shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'I've got more important things to work on right now.'

"Minato...?" A feminine voice rang out, startling Minato out of his thoughts. Hitomi stood before him, particularly well-rounded. "You're awake. Come. Little Naru-chan should be happy to see his daddy." she said as she pulled on his arm. Following her obediently, he smiled when he saw Naruto being cared for by Hiashi, as his twin enjoyed his time with his son Neji.

He made his way over to Hiashi and his son, truly calm for the first time since he woke up. "Thanks...Hiashi. Thank you for taking care of Naruto while I was incapacitated."

Leaning in front of his friend, he watched as Naruto reached his little hands up towards him. Smiling at the gesture, Minato moved towards Naruto. He felt Naruto's hands move across his face, up towards his eyes.

He smirked and started to laugh. Naruto was just a few days old, and he had already decided he wanted to be a ninja, if him stealing his headband was any indication.

"Minato, looks like your son doesn't think you're ready to be a ninja. Seeing as how he stole your headband as soon as he got the opportunity to do so." Hiashi said smirking.

"Yeah, I guess I should head back to the Academy soon." Minato said in response, grinning.

"I'm here for business, too. If you have any Main Branch members that recently retired from shinobi business, or on light duty, like yourself. One with independence, a strong will, and with no desire for status, could you send them to the Hokage manor on the first? I'm making a new council to replace Danzo, Homura, and Koharu." Minato said.

With an apologetic smile, Minato turned to Hizashi. "I hate that I have to limit it to Main Branch members, Hizashi. But just having the blasted seal makes them more able to be manipulated. I hope you understand."

Nodding in understanding, Hizashi said, "Yeah. I know. You're a good man, Minato. You don't need to explain yourself. You always have a good reason for what you do."

Nodding his head in thanks, Minato said, "Now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to take Naruto and head home.

* * *

Minato stared at the closed gate leading to his home. Silently, he stood there as if waiting for something. Letting out a breath he had been unknowingly been holding, he walked forward and opened the gates. Deciding that it was time to accept it. Kushina was gone.


	5. First Meetings

**Chapter 5: First Meetings**

* * *

"Mmn?" Minato mumbled incoherently as his was still rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes.

Pulling on his arm, the blond kage's son dragged out of bed. "'Tou-chan, 'tou-chan. Let's go to the park."

Yawning, Minato rubbed what little drowsiness remained in his eyes away. "Mm? The park...that sounds like a good idea. Let me eat and get dressed first, Naruto." he said, ruffling his son's hair.

Not listening to a word from his father, after hearing him agree, Naruto continued to pull on his arm, headed for the entry.

Snickering at his son's antics, Minato pulled on Naruto's arms lifting him off the ground. "Food first, Naruto." he said, as his looked into his son's azure eyes before placing him back on the ground. "Get dressed, or you won't get to eat."

Faster than you could say Hiraishin, Naruto began to run to his room but tripped almost immediately. Chuckling, Minato left his son to himself as he headed to his room to get dressed as well.

Naruto's stomach grumbled for the third time in the past minute. "Is it ready yet?" Naruto complained as his hunger began to get the better of him.

"Almost, Naruto." Minato said, as he tried, yet again, to find a dish that Naruto really enjoyed. He always ate it all without complaints, but he's never declared something as delicious, much to his father's disappointment.

"'Tou-chan." Naruto whined again, his head on the table as his stomach growled yet again.

Maneuvering his way to the breakfast table, Minato placed down the finished breakfast. "It's done, it's done."

Eying the various breakfast portions, Naruto said, "Itadakimasu." Prying apart his chopsticks, he ate the dishes as rapidly as usual.

Eating his own breakfast at a more reasonable pace, in between bites, Minato asked, "So, how was today's breakfast?"

"Good as always," Naruto said shrugging, as he deflated Minato's hopes. "Hurry, 'tou-chan. I want to go to the park already."

Laughing, Minato acquiesced to his son's eager request and finished quickly. Placing their dishes in the sink, he turned to his son and said, "Let's go."

Giving his father a smile only a child could make, he grabbed his hand and together they headed towards the park.

* * *

Arriving at the park, Naruto let go of his father's hand and raced forward to make new friends. Spotting a pair of boys on a seesaw, Naruto ran towards them.

"Hi guys. Mind if I play with you?" Naruto said, as he stood next to the pair.

Scratching his cheek, the chubbier boy looked at his lazy friend and asked "What do you think, Shikamaru?"

With a yawn, Shikamaru said, "Eh, sure. Too troublesome to refuse."

With a grin and an eager nod, Naruto leapt onto the center of the seesaw. "So, so, so. What should we do?" He asked the pair, excited to do something with his new friends.

* * *

Minato watched his son interact with his new-found friends with a smile.

"He acts just like Kushina, doesn't he?" Shikaku said, as he stood next to his lifelong friend.

"He does, pleasant surprise to find you and your sons here today," he said to the Akimichi and Nara clan heads.

"Where does he get all that energy though? Kushina wasn't even that hyperactive." Chouza said in astonishment.

"I only hope he puts that energy to good use, you wouldn't believe the trouble I had when he was two and decided to get into everything. I don't even know how he got his hands on some sugar, that was a nightmare." Minato said with a shudder as he recalled the memories.

"Other than trying to keep up with Naruto's endless energy, what have you been up to lately, Minato?" Chouza asked, genuinely curious.

"Most of what I've been doing lately, outside of normal paperwork, is altering our current Anbu system. Prior to these changes, anyone with sufficient combat skill and decision-making skills could become Anbu, regardless of actual experience and age. To better the system, I've created a series of tests which determine your combat skill, your decision-making skills, and above all, your level of physical and mental maturity. Too many of our Anbu have been dying on missions because of physical or mental immaturities." Minato paused, taking a breath.

"Impressive. This should improve our Anbu squads by a great deal." Shikaku said, honestly impressed.

"Additionally, one thing I've noticed that is common in shinobi that needs to be completely driven out of Anbu at least is that usually shinobi won't efficiently and decisively end a battle. They'll play around using mid-level jutsu, they'll use non-fatal attacks. As much I believe that killing isn't the first thing we should go to, our Anbu squads need to be the type to react and end fights quickly and efficiently." Minato continued, as he fell into speech mode.

Nodding in slight shock, Chouza patted his friend on the back. "You never cease to amaze me. You do Konoha proud."

"Have you taken Naruto to the Hyuuga's yet?" Shikaku asked, genuinely curious.

Rubbing the back of his head, Minato gave his friend a sheepish expression. "I haven't really had the chance. Between my duties as Hokage, and my duties as a father, not to mention Hyuuga issues, we haven't had an opportunity. This was my first free day in months, and I'll be busy later today, so it wasn't even a full day free, and Naruto wanted to go to the park."

Shrugging in defeat, he gave his friend a slight grin. "It'll happen when it happens. For now, though..."

"Mm...why haven't you had Naruto go over there when you're busy with your Hokage duties, though? I'm sure they'd be absolutely fine with babysitting Naruto for you." Chouza asked inquisitively.

Grimacing, Minato frowned. "I hate this, and even more the fact that I can't do anything about it, but the Hyuuga elders...they don't see my son as a child. From what Hiashi has told me, they see him as the Kyuubi in human form. Hiashi had to use all his favors from over the years just to keep Naruto there while I was in the hospital."

Sighing, Minato turned in the direction of the Hyuuga manor. "I'll never be able to repay Hiashi for what he's done for me. Not only did he keep Naruto safe while I was hospitalized, he saved my life."

"But that is a story for another time," he said with a smirk. He knew them well enough to know that they'd be itching to hear the story behind that.

* * *

Dragging his new friends with him, Naruto lead them to Minato. "'Tou-chan, 'tou-chan. I made some new friends." he said, as he presented his friends like trophies.

Grinning, Minato asked, "And do these friends have names, Naruto?"

Nodding vigorously, Naruto said, "Yeah, yeah. Their names are..."

Naruto stopped as he looked at his two new friends again. "Uh, what were your names again?"

Rubbing his temples, Shikamaru said, "What a troublesome guy. I'm Shikamaru, this is Chouji."

Realizing who they were speaking to, and in turn who their new friend was, Chouji let out a gasp. "Ho-Hokage-sama?!"

Patting the young boy on his head, he smiled. "When I'm out with my son, I'm just his father. Just Minato is fine, and it's that's too informal, I guess you can call me Namikaze-san."

"Naruto, Shikaku and Chouza here invited us to an early lunch, and while I know we just ate not too long ago..."

"I'll go, I'll go!" Naruto said immediately, interrupting his father.

Watching his son prance around in excitement, Minato smiled softly as he was reminded of Kushina.

Gently, he said, "Lead the way, Chouza. We'll join you four."

* * *

Arriving at the beef restaurant, Naruto turned to his friends. "I bet I can eat more than you two can." he challenged, boasting confidently.

Chouza raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Maybe Kushina's challenge to the Akimichi will be fulfilled through Naruto."

Grinning, Chouji accepted the challenge.

Ushering the youngsters into the building, they got themselves a room reserved for the Akimichi.

Eying his lifelong friend, the shadow user asked, "Chouza, will you join them in their little contest?"

Laughing heartily, Chouza shook his head. "Maybe in a few years, but for now I'll let the little ones have their fun.

Clapping his hands twice, Chouza signaled to the waiter in charge of their table. "Keep the beef coming. We'll be here for a while."

"Very well, Akimichi-san," the waiter said with a slight bow, accustomed to the eating demands of their clan.

Watching them with a satisfied expression, Minato turned his attention to Shikaku. "Can I talk to you about something?" Seeing him nod, Minato continued, "You see, I've had this idea about a change in our mission system, and I was wondering what you thought of it..."

Nodding again, Shikaku said, "Continue."

* * *

Sighing in satisfaction, Naruto leaned back in his seat. "That was good. So, who won?" he asked, eying Shikamaru, their designated scorekeeper.

Blinking twice, he said, "Surprisingly, neither of you did. You both ate the same amount."

With a disappointed sigh, Naruto leaned forward onto the table. "I'll beat you next time, Chouji."

Shikamaru frowned. "Naruto, where do you put it all?"

Smirking, Naruto shrugged. Turning to Chouji, he said, "You're not bad, for not being an Uzumaki."

"I can say the same to you...for not being an Akimichi," he retorted.

The two shared a grin and a firm bond of friendship was formed.

"Naruto."

"Hm?" Naruto turned to see who was addressing him. "Kakashi-niisan!"

Smiling at his sensei's hyperactive son, the silver-haired nin said, "Hey, Naruto-kun. Your dad had some Hokage duties to do, so he asked me to take you back home."

"See you Shika, Chouji." Naruto said to his friends.

"Nii-san, can you share more of your awesome stories with me?" Naruto asked, excited.

"Sure, Naruto. How about I tell you of the time Obito, Rin, and I-"

"No, no! I don't want to hear about them. Tell me about your exciting solo missions." Naruto said, interrupting Kakashi without care.

"Fine, fine. So I was given this S-Rank mission by your dad..."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait, had a lot of trouble writing this chapter.


	6. Ninja Academy Entrance Exam

Chapter 6: Ninja Academy Entrance Exam

* * *

_Thump. Thump. Thump. _Naruto's heart beat at a relaxed pace as he slept calmly his late night before he entered the Ninja Academy. As the sun peaked its head over the horizon, shining its golden rays upon the Uzumaki Manor, Naruto's heartbeat sped up. _Thump, thump. Thump. Thump, thump. Thump. _Opening his eyes with a deep yawn, Naruto woke stretching. His vision scaled the walls of his room and noted the clock upon the outside wall. Blinking a few times, Naruto's vision cleared up and he was able to read the clock. _6:50._

Bolting out of bed, he rushed to his closet. Flipping through his outfits that his father got for him, he hesitated on the third one. Its bright orange coloring a stark contrast to the other outfits in his possession. Shaking his head, Naruto flipped to the next one and smiled. _'This'll do,'_ he thought to himself with a smile.

Now properly dressed, Naruto headed downstairs to see his father cooking some breakfast. Sniffing, his mouth began to water from the unfamiliar smell. Excited for breakfast, Naruto headed into the kitchen. "'Tou-chan...? What's that? Smells delicious."

Groaning in grief, Minato said, "I should have known, this was your mother's favorite food." Setting a bowl down for the two of them, Minato sat across from his son. "Listen Naruto. This is Miso Pork ramen and it was your mother's absolute favorite meal." Glancing at the Narutomaki food topping, he added, "And to some extent your namesake."

Only half-listening, Naruto nodded his head at his father's words as he pried apart his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu." Slurping up the noodles, Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "This is really good."

All traces of Naruto's table manners disappeared as he practically inhaled the ramen noodles. Lifting up the bowl, Naruto quickly drank the broth. "Seconds?" he asked, eager to feast upon the most holy of foods once again.

Chuckling at his son, Minato said, "Maybe later. For now, we need to take you to the Academy, it's going to start soon."

Grumbling in disappointment, Naruto quickly ran upstairs to take care of last-minute preparations.

* * *

Looking at the list of students, Iruka was surprised to see just who was on it. Members of all four of Konoha's noble clans: Uchiha, Hyuuga, Aburame, and Akimichi. Not to mention Nara and Yamanaka compliments. The sole Uzumaki heir, and one of the few Senju survivors. Looking more closely at the list, he noticed that they were almost all heirs of their respective clans, too. "This can't be by chance...can it?" he asked himself, dazed into a stupor.

A few seconds later, the door to the classroom slid open, revealing his friend, and one of the other sensei in charge of this class. "Iruka?" Mizuki said, unintentionally bring Iruka out of his dazed bewilderment.

Almost dropping the clipboard, Iruka glanced at his lifelong friend. "Mizuki?" Noticing the clock, he realized the students should be arriving shortly. "Right. I'll be there in a moment, Mizuki."

Nodding, Mizuki slid the door shut and headed for the entrance, ready to greet those wishing to join the Academy.

* * *

"'Tou-chan? What's the Academy's entrance exam like?" Naruto asked his father.

Considering what to share, Minato paused in deliberated thought. "Mm. There are two parts to it. The first, for you, and most that come from clans, is mostly just a formality. A check to see if you have the capability to mold chakra. The second is a more comprehensive test. It checks your current chakra capacity, your control. Any jutsus you may know, there is a spar between the examinees and the examiners, to figure out if you already know any Taijutsu, and if not, to give them a feel of which style would likely fit you best. It also figures out whether you're a ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu type of shinobi. You can't fail the second part of the test, exactly. Pass the first test and you're in. The second is just to give your sensei an idea of where you're at in relation to the rest of the class, to create the correct curriculum for their batch of students."

Nodding his head, Naruto said, "So the first part is to see if we can become shinobi, and the second checks how awesome we are?"

Chuckling, Minato affectionately stroked his son's head. "Come on. Let's hurry. We're running a little late, Naruto."

Taking his dad's rough, calloused hand he ran with him towards the academy, laughing in mirth.

* * *

Iruka looked over the many students desiring to enter the Ninja Academy, wishing to become shinobi. Nodding lightly at Mizuki, he stepped forward. "Welcome, students. This is the Ninja Academy entrance exams. If you would please form up quietly in front of Mizuki, so that he can check your capability to mold chakra." He paused, and indicated with a wave of his hand who Mizuki was. "After you do that, and if are indeed capable of molding chakra, head inside, several examiners are inside to test your level of competence."

One by one, the eager students got tested for their ability to mold chakra and the crowd slowly began to diminish as some students entered the building, whereas some were turned away. With careful eyes, Iruka noted that more students than usual were showing the capability to mold chakra. Whether that was mere coincidence, or a sign of things to come, he was unaware.

As the last of the students finished the first test, Iruka stepped forward once again. "Parents, I thank you for coming. Now that all students have either been accepted into the exam, or denied entrance, I ask that you take your leave."

As the failed children and parents began to leave, Iruka turned and entered the building, eager to see how much potential this group had.

* * *

"Examinees, you'll be given a card shortly. You are to pour as much chakra into the card as you can at a steady rate. This will determine your capacity, control, and type." The first examiner said, holding up a card to exemplify his words. With a little concentration, the examiner's hand glowed a deep blue with rough edges as detail began to surface. "Fuwatari Mizuki. Rank C chakra capacity. Rank D control. Taijutsu type." he said, reading off the card, slightly miffed at the results.

"Aburame Shino, you're up."

Nodding, the silent boy took his card and channeled chakra into it. "Aburame Shino. Rank D chakra capacity. Rank D control. Potential in all three areas." Nodding wordlessly, the silent boy handed his card to the appropriate examiner and headed to the next one.

"Akimichi Chouji."

Eating the rest of the chips in a rush, Chouji emptied the bag before stepping forward. "Akimichi Chouji. Rank C Level chakra capacity. Rank E control. Ninjutsu-Taijutsu type." Smiling at the expected results, Chouji followed Shino's example and headed to the next examiner immediately.

"Haruno Sakura,"

Stepping forward nervously, the pink-haired examinee grasped the card with a tremble. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she closed her eyes and channeled chakra into the card. "Haruno Sakura. Rank E Level chakra capacity. Rank B control. Genjutsu type." Handing over her card nervously, she shuffled forward.

"Hyuuga Hinata."

"Hai!" she exclaimed as she stepped forward. "Hyuuga Hinata. Rank D Level chakra capacity. Rank C control. Taijutsu-Genjutsu type." Nodding with a soft smile, she gently handed the examiner her card before rushing off to the next one.

"Inuzuka Kiba."

"Alright! Our turn now," the wild boy said to his trusted dog companion. Barking in response, the duo stepped forward. "Inuzuka Kiba. Rank C Level chakra capacity. Rank E control. Ninjutsu-Taijutsu type."

"Namikaze Naruto."

With a wide-grin, Naruto stepped forward eager to show off his results. Channeling the chakra into the card, his blue chakra formed around the entire boy, its sheer pressure giving off slight wind. "Namikaze Naruto. Rank S Level chakra capacity. Rank E control. Ninjutsu-Taijutsu type." Smirking at the shocked examiner's, he tossed his card toward them before running ahead.

Recovering from his shock, if only just, Mizuki continued to call out the students. "Nara Shikamaru."

Muttering his troublesome phrase, Shikamaru stepped forward and grasped the card, putting little effort into channeling his chakra. "Nara Shikamaru. Rank E chakra capacity. Rank E control. Ninjutsu-Genjutsu type." Slowly, the lazy boy shuffled onwards after handing his card to the examiner with a bored sigh.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Stepping forward, the young Uchiha channeled his chakra into his card precisely. "Uchiha Sasuke. Rank C chakra capacity. Rank D control. Potential in all three areas."

"Yamanaka Ino,"

Channeling her chakra, she mustered up the best results she could get. "Yamanaka Ino. Rank D Level chakra capacity. Rank D control. Ninjutsu-Genjutsu type."

With a heavy sigh, Mizuki leaned back in his chair, glad to be finished with that. "That Namikaze boy...he surprised me."

* * *

As the students went through the numerous tests the shock of the first test started to lose its weight as the class standings began to make themselves clear. Uchiha Sasuke leading the boys in performance, Hyuuga Hinata leading the girls. And behind everyone, Namikaze Naruto.

With a raised eyebrow, Mizuki turned to Iruka. "What do you make of these results?"

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Iruka said, "As expected of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans, they distinguish themselves above the rest. This group has a lot of potential. Two in the group, Aburame and Uchiha, show unexpected prowess, able to be proficient in all three areas. And Namikaze...he has a lot of untapped potential. If he can just harness it, he'll be an amazing shinobi. But that's a big if, these results aren't exactly favorable towards him. He'll need a lot of work just to get to Academy standards, let alone the levels he'll need to make a name for himself."

"Yeah...I wonder."

* * *

Mingling, the students found themselves headed to the dojo, as an internal contest for weapon throwing skills.

With a characteristic smirk, Naruto boasted, "I bet I can throw better than you can."

Not one to back down from a challenge, and eager to show off as well, Sasuke accepted his challenge. Looking at the rest of the examinees, Sasuke said, "Any of you who wish to join and attempt to beat me is welcome to try."

A crowd formed, and every student was participating, from those like Inuzuka Kiba who were eager to take him down to those like Haruno Sakura who didn't want to be isolated from the group. Taking out a pair of shuriken, Sasuke started it off, hitting the bulls-eye once, with the second shuriken embedding itself just outside the bulls-eye.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Sasuke removed his shuriken. "Beat that." he challenged them all with a smirk.

One by one the competitors attempted, but as the numbers dwindled his dominance remained clear as no others got a bulls-eye, and many missed the target altogether. "Who's next?" Sasuke asked, seeing the remaining three participants.

"I'll go."

Stepping forward, the Aburame heir grasped his shuriken. Tossing the first with an expert wrist toss he landed the second bulls-eye of the group.

"Not bad, Shino." Sasuke praised, not so far drowned in Uchiha pride as to be unable to recognize the skill of others.

Nodding at the praise, Shino tossed his second shuriken. True to course, it seemed as if he was going to get a second bulls-eye, and seal his standing above the Uchiha.

But that was not to be, a gust of wind, uncharacteristic to Konoha, blew throughout the dojo, changing the shuriken's course just enough for it to narrowly miss the bulls-eye.

Conceding his misfortune, Shino made no complaints, accepting it as is. "Your victory, Uchiha."

Smirking, Sasuke looked over towards Naruto. "Gonna take your turn already? Or are you waiting for something to interrupt us so you don't make a fool of yourself?" he asked the boy, knowing it would agitate him.

"You'll eat those words, Sasuke." Naruto said as he glared at the boy.

Taking out a pair of shuriken, he stepped forward. Tossing them one after the other, he amazed every single student there. He managed to miss the target not only once, but twice.

Sasuke chuckled quietly, "Looks like I'm the victor,"

"Mm? What are you talking about Sasuke, we still have one more participant." Naruto said, not showing any embarrassment at his results.

"Eh? Like she could do any better." Sasuke said, not even glancing at the girl.

Grinning despite himself, Naruto said, "Hinata can beat you. You're not the only one in a famous clan."

Reddened cheeks, unused to praise and baseless confidence in her, Hinata took out her shuriken, hoping to prove him right. Choosing not to speak, otherwise have her voice betray her she stepped forward and threw them expertly and one after the other she nailed two bulls-eyes. The two shuriken nestled closely together with almost no space between them.

Happy to please her Naruto-kun, she went to retrieve the shuriken before pausing. Her blush flared up as she wondered where that thought came from.

Grinning as if he had trumped the Uchiha himself, Naruto said, "See? What'd I tell you?"

Smiling confidently, Sasuke said, "That was just luck. I'll allow her this one victory, because after today, it's all me."

Glaring at the Uchiha, he prepared to retort in anger when Hinata spoke up.

"Thank you...Naruto-kun." she said shyly.

Retort and anger forgotten, he turned to the Hyuuga heiress. "Anytime." he said with a wide smile. "So, how'd you throw them so well? And what was that awesome Taijutsu you used earlier?" he asked her as he forgot the presence of others, intrigued by what she could do and unable to do the same with the Uchiha, for reasons unknown to himself.

With a timid smile, Hinata patiently answered his questions.

* * *

**A/N: **Just to state a few things, Hinata's change of character is due to a few things, the kidnap attempt never happened, thus Hizashi is still around. Neji doesn't harbor hate for the main family. Additionally, her mother is alive, so Hiashi didn't drown himself in clan duties to cope with her loss, and thus neglect his duties as a father. Hitomi's enduring presence did wonders on Hinata, and her personality is one of confidence. She doesn't always doubt herself. She's still somewhat timid and shy though. Additionally, this is the first time Naruto and Hinata met.


	7. Training

**Chapter 7: Training**

* * *

Smiling softly at his son, Minato ruffled his hair. "Now that you're in the academy, I think it's time to start your training."

Giving his father a wide smile, Naruto nodded vigorously.

"Let's first work on your Taijutsu." Minato paused. "Before I decide, I'd like you to go all out against me, so I can get an idea of which style would be best suited for you." Settling into his Take Style, Minato beckoned for his son to attack.

Grinning, Naruto went wild and flew at his father, throwing a fist. Smirking, Minato caught his son's fist before leaning back, and using his son's momentum against him, he nailed him with his elbow, sending him back.

Rubbing his sore cheek, Naruto got back up. Running at his father more carefully, Naruto aimed to hit his father from below with an uppercut. Dodging the fist with minimal effort, Minato grabbed his son's wrist and put him in a firm hold.

"That's good enough, Naruto. I'll have a scroll for you to study later, and I'll help you with getting it right, but for now let's move on." Minato said, "Mm. Let's work on your weapon throwing skills." Following his father, Naruto found himself occupied for the rest of the day as they worked on many areas that he needed improvement in.

* * *

The following morning, Naruto found himself waking up at the crack of dawn. Yawning, Naruto stretched and got out of bed. He rubbed away his sleepiness before sluggishly pulling out an outfit from his closet. "This'll do," he muttered to himself as he got dressed.

Grabbing a couple Onigiri from a plate on the table, Naruto bolted from the house as he was running late. "Bye, 'Tou-chan!"

* * *

With a sigh of relief, Naruto made it shortly before the bell. Looking around, he saw that people were already starting to form groups. Most of the girls surrounding the Uchiha, a group of boys including Nara, Akimichi, and Inuzuka heirs, and by herself, Hinata. Smiling to himself, Naruto made his way to the Hyuuga heiress. "Mind if I sit with you, Hinata?" He asked, grinning boyishly.

"Hai, Naruto-kun." Hinata said shyly, with a gentle smile.

Easing into the seat next to her, Naruto heard Iruka enter the room just as he sat down.

"Hello, class." Iruka said as he greeted the children. "I am Imuno Iruka, and this is Fuwatari Mizuki. You will refer to us as Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. In the mornings we will work on your academics. For the first year, there will be no sparring to create a class standing, so during the afternoon when that would usually take place, we will instead work on your Taijutsu and weapon throwing skills. Those of you with styles already decided will work on that. Those without styles will be given a style that we, Mizuki-sensei and myself, feel is best suited for you. Every Friday, instead of normal classes, there will be an event that will test your growing capabilities as a shinobi. In the second year, morning classes will be replaced with classes geared towards jutsu. In the third year, the top three students may, once a week, forego classes and may perform low-level D-Rank missions, to help get you prepared for a life as a shinobi. Your standing may be dropped dependant on how well you work with the two other students as a team, and by how well the three of you perform the mission."

"Today, we will mostly work on introductions. When I call your name, you are to state your name, and your purpose for becoming a shinobi."

"Aburame Shino," Iruka said, as he began calling off names.

Standing up, Shino said, "My purpose for becoming a Shinobi is to better my clan, and to serve the village to the utmost of my capabilities."

"Akimichi Chouji."

Putting down his chips for the moment, Chouji finished chewing the rest before swallowing. "I would like to make my 'Tou-san proud and become a shinobi worthy of the Akimichi name."

"Haruno Sakura,"

Peeling her attention away from Sasuke for a moment, she stood up. "I wish to become a strong shinobi. Showing that you can become great even without a prestigious background."

"Hyuuga Hinata."

Nodding her head, Hinata stood up delicately. "I wish to make my Otou-san proud and to better my clan as its heir."

"Inuzuka Kiba,"

Standing up with a feral smirk, Kiba said, "I'm going to show everyone just how kick-ass the Inuzuka clan can be."

"Namikaze Naruto,"

"I will become a shinobi to make my 'Tou-chan proud and to honor my Kaa-san." Naruto said, not looking at Iruka-sensei, but instead out the window towards the Hokage monument.

"Nara Shikamaru,"

Resting on the desk, Shikamaru was gently nudged by his friend, Chouji.

Eyebrow twitching in annoyance, Iruka repeated himself. "Nara Shikamaru, state your purpose for being a shinobi."

Grumbling about how troublesome introductions were, Shikamaru stood up. "I'm going to be a shinobi following my father's footsteps." Sitting down after his brief introduction, he rested his head on his desk, hoping to return to his dream.

"Uchiha Sasuke,"

"I will become a shinobi to make my clan see me for myself, to do more than just follow in my brother's footsteps." Sasuke said, staring at his desk with his fingers clenched.

"Yamanaka Ino,"

Biting her lip, she stood up. "I am going to be a shinobi to honor the wishes of my father and to follow in his footsteps."

Clapping his hands in satisfaction as everyone finished, Iruka said, "Alright, class. Now that our introductions are over with time to turn to academics. Hearing a collective groan, he chuckled.

* * *

Afternoon classes came far too slowly for Naruto's pleasure. As the clock on the wall neared 1:15, Naruto began to watch the clock and zoned out everything else. "Alright!" He shouted out the instant the clock read 1:15, not even waiting for Iruka to dismiss everyone. Rushing out of the class, Naruto made his way to the Academy Dojo, eager to get started.

Remembering his father's words, Naruto placed himself in the corner, to give others room as he pulled out the scroll his father gave them the day before. Ignoring most of the scroll, he focused on the first image.

Leaning forward on the balls of his feet, he positioned himself in what would be recognized as the Tiger stance, despite not using the Tiger style.

With a shout of determination, he focused and repeated the first strike of the Tiger stance. Moments later, he could hear the shuffling of feet as his classmates, and sensei, arrive. "You're late." he told the group, grinning.

Rubbing his forehead in exasperation, Iruka ignored Naruto and turned to the rest of the class. "Space yourself out and work on your stances. Those of you who don't have a style yet, stay here and we'll figure out your style momentarily."

With a clattering of footsteps, the students sorted themselves out across the dojo.

Smirking, Naruto found himself next to Sasuke. "Oi, teme. Can't wait until next year so we can start sparring and I can kick your ass."

Glancing at Naruto with a smirk, Sasuke said, "You won't even be able to hit me, dobe."

Grumbling, Naruto forced himself to ignore Sasuke's words as he repeated the first strike in his stance for the remainder of the afternoon classes.

* * *

Slowly, the numbers dwindled as the minutes, and hours passed on by. As the afternoon classes drew to a close, two students continued their practice.

The two boys in a corner continued training, pushing themselves in an attempt to perfect their stances that very day. Eyeing each other every so often, they made a low grunt, unable to form coherent words as they refused to be the first to stop training.

Panting heavily, Sasuke slumped onto the wall. "You...stamina freak." he wheezed out, amazed that Naruto started before him and was still going.

Chuckling with a pained cough, Sasuke said, "You may be inept at just about everything. But you've got stamina to spare."

Pausing briefly, Naruto turned to Sasuke giving him a grin. "Well, I couldn't lose to you, could I?"

Using the wall for support, Naruto did what he could to stay standing. "I won't lose to you, Sasuke-teme. Not now, and not ever."

Succumbing to his exhaustion, Naruto allowed himself to slide down to the floor, unable to press himself any further.

Leaning back against the wall, the unspoken rivals rested, eager to head home.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay everyone. Had trouble with one of the scenes.


	8. Arising Difficulties

**Chapter 8: Arising Difficulties**

* * *

As the morning classes drew to a close, Naruto began to feel jittery as their first Friday approached. Naruto's eyes darted back and forth as Iruka brought the lecture to a close, something about the relationship between Konoha and the other hidden villages.

"Now I'm sure you're all excited, many of you anticipating today." Iruka began, as he noted the eager expression on many of the boys faces. "This week, we'll be doing an obstacle course, in singles, to test each of your physical ability, stamina, and awareness of your surroundings. Eventually this'll be expanded on, up to a group of three doing the task together, and other tasks such as simulated combat scenarios using blunted kunai and information wars."

Heading to the door, he beckoned to the class. "Follow me, we've set it up outside of the academy, as we didn't have sufficient room."

* * *

Turning to the kids, Iruka said, "I don't expect any of you to be able to finish this course yet. Not even our most talented shinobi finished it on their first. Before you graduate, you'll be expected to be able to get through this course in under five minutes. With that in mind, Aburame Shino, you're up."

One by one, the students went through the course, and as expected, none of them had managed to finish it. Shino showed surprising dexterity and made it a full quarter of the way through the course before his stamina ran low. Others such as Kiba and Chouji got stopped by the rickety bridge, unable to keep their balance.

"Namikaze Naruto, if you would." Iruka beckoned, after Kiba left the course.

Smirking, Naruto nodded and rushed into the course, certain he'd show what he could do. Stopping in front of the first obstacle, his actions belied his words as his comrades failures cautioned him in the deception of the course.

Naruto closed his eyes and let out a breathe, calming himself. As he opened his eyes, he jumped into action scaling the vine-covered wall. Halfway up, the vine he was using for a handhold tore as he shifted his weight. Cursing to himself, Naruto immediately let it go and managed to grasp a sturdier vine before he hit the forest floor. Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto climbed the wall with a little more care.

Clearing the wall, he saw that he had a choice to make, if the sign was to be trusted. To the left was a path that would consume more time, but would also be less difficult, and to his right was a much more direct route to the next obstacle, if a lot more physically demanding. Neither path showed exactly what he'd have to deal with, nor did the sign give any hint.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Naruto veered for the right path, trusting in his growing physical ability.

Cautiously, he walked along the trail with gentle steps, hoping not to set anything off. Pausing momentarily, Naruto eyed his surroundings looking for any signs of trouble. "Ah, screw it." he muttered to himself, well aware of his shortcomings. Abandoning all caution, Naruto ran forward trusting in his instinct to pull him through. Immediately, he regretted his decision and without anything to grab onto, he plummeted to the forest floor immediately.

* * *

Spotting Naruto's progress, Mizuki shook his head in resignation. Sighing to himself, he left the scene and reported to Iruka.

"Iruka, Naruto took the Giman Path and while he had showed a modicum of control at the start, he abandoned all care fell to the simplest of the traps in that zone."

Nodding, Iruka turned to the rest of the class, "Nara Shikamaru, your turn."

Shortly, the rest of the class went through the course, and as expected none cleared. Shino, Hinata, and Sasuke were the three who made it the furthest, Sasuke almost managing to make it halfway there before being caught unaware by a trap whereas Shino and Hinata both were forced to stop due to their stamina.

"Time for the results. Mizuki, if you would." Iruka said after a few moments of silence, as the two Chunin compiled their progress, speed, and reasons for stopping.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you made it the furthest of all the students, however, you were reckless in how you dealt with some of the obstacles. Work on that. All things considered, we rank you as first among the class."

Smiling at the praise, Sasuke accepted his words with a nod.

"Aburame Shino, your methodical way of dealing with traps and other obstacles was impressive, however, your movements were excessive and you consumed much more stamina than needed. Spend some time eliminating unneeded movement. You rank second among the boys and third overall."

"Will do, Sensei." Shino said, taking Mizuki's words at face value.

"Akimichi Chouji, Inuzuka Kiba. You both showed great stamina and impressive physical ability for your age, however, both of you are unbalanced in your physical ability. Work on your weaknesses. You two rank fifth and sixth among the boys, and sixth and eighth overall."

"Yes, sensei." Kiba said in a defeated tone. Chouji merely nodded.

"Namikaze Naruto. You did well on the first obstacle, showing good reaction time when the vine broke. However, in frustration you took the more difficult of paths and approached it without caution. Work on your patience and continue improving. You've shown impressive growth this week, but you still have much you can improve on. You rank eleventh among the boys, and fifteenth overall."

With a sheepish expression on his face, Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, yes, Mizuki-sensei."

"Nara Shikamaru...You showed an incredible lack of effort, but despite that you managed to make some progress. While you may find this to be too troublesome, it is one of the requirements to graduate from the academy. Build up your stamina, make an effort, and continue to grow. You rank thirteenth among the boys and eighteenth overall."

Sighing, Shikamaru merely nodded his head.

"Hyuuga Hinata. You made quick and decisive decisions while overcoming the obstacles and had excellent movements to complement your choices. Work on increasing your stamina and do Konoha proud. You rank first among the girls, and second overall."

With a gentle smile, Hinata accepted the praise.

"Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura. The two of you showed quick thinking in the second obstacle, however, you both quickly gave into your frustrations and loss awareness of your surroundings. Work on your tempers, and hone your physical abilities. The two of you rank seventh and ninth among the girls, and seventeenth and twentieth overall."

Falling silent, Mizuki turned to Iruka who addressed the class. "Now then, everyone. Work on your weaknesses over the next week and aim on improving your standing. Next week will be an intelligence war course, Monday and Tuesday will cover the importance of intelligence and the best methods to gather the intelligence, Wednesday and Thursday will be theoretical assignments. Friday will be a compilation of the week and your aim will be to steal the scrolls from the opposing teams. Teams will be entirely random. Three members to a team. Dismissed."

* * *

**A/N:** Just a forewarning, in the future I may end up losing my internet for some time, so if you don't see updates for a long time (over a month), then that is the case. I'll put another notice up when the danger of losing it is gone. In other news, I'm curious as to who you think Naruto's sensei will be (and his team). All teams, including their sensei, are already decided. This was just to see how many, if any, are correct.


	9. Redo

Sorry to get anyone's hope up, but this is to serve two purposes, one to let my readers know I'm back and ready to continue my story, The other part is to let you know that I'm going to be redoing it. I'm going to leave this up for two weeks to a month to give others a chance see my notification. After that period of time, I'll be deleting all the chapters and putting up my new first chapter. If I take longer than the expected two weeks to a month time period to finish the first chapter, I'll be leaving it up beyond that time. I will say this, it is not going to be a dropped story. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't even be doing this. I'd just leave things as is and probably delete the story.

Reason why: I'm unsatisfied with it in its current state, I realize it's still in the very early stages, but I honestly did a very poor job portraying what I want to show. The main plot up to this point will still rather similar, but much of the context will actually change.

Sorry that this isn't a new chapter, again, but this needs to be done.

- Ariis


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